Recycling waste refractory material

Abstract

A refractory recycling system includes a network of refractory aggregates including a first contaminant and an individual refractory component desired to be separated from the first contaminant, a computing device configured to determine a first critical velocity for separating the first contaminant from the individual refractory component, the first critical velocity being determined based on a mechanical property of the first contaminant, and a refining apparatus for refining the network of refractory aggregates. The refining apparatus is configured to receive the network of refractory aggregates, generate the first critical velocity based at least in part on a projecting mechanism, impart the first critical velocity to the network of refractory aggregates, thereby causing the first contaminant to separate from the individual refractory component, and provide a first refined set of particles of the network of refractory aggregates, the first refined set of particles comprising the individual refractory component.

Therefore, at least the following is claimed: 
     
         1 . A refractory recycling system, comprising:
 a network of refractory aggregates comprising a first contaminant and an individual refractory component desired to be separated from the first contaminant based at least in part on a first critical velocity, the first critical velocity being determined based at least in part on a mechanical property of the first contaminant; and   a refining apparatus for refining the network of refractory aggregates, the refining apparatus configured to at least:
 receive the network of refractory aggregates; 
 generate the first critical velocity based at least in part on a projecting mechanism; 
 impart the first critical velocity to the network of refractory aggregates, thereby causing the first contaminant to separate from the individual refractory component; and 
 provide a first refined set of particles of the network of refractory aggregates, the first refined set of particles comprising the individual refractory component. 
   
     
     
         2 . The refractory recycling system of  claim 1 , further comprising a computing device, wherein the computing device is further configured to at least determine a maximum aggregate size of the individual refractory component, the maximum aggregate size being based on a mechanical property of the individual refractory component. 
     
     
         3 . The refractory recycling system of  claim 2 , wherein the refining apparatus, before being configured to impart the first critical velocity to the network of refractory aggregates, is further configured to at least:
 remove one or more foreign residues from the network of refractory aggregates based at least in part on a cleaning process; and   crush the network of refractory aggregates so that individual particles of the network of refractory aggregates are sized greater than the maximum aggregate size.   
     
     
         4 . The refractory recycling system of  claim 2 , wherein the first refined set of particles comprises a second contaminant, the computing device further configured to determine a second critical velocity for separating the second contaminant from the first refined set of particles, the second critical velocity being determined based at least in part on a mechanical property of the second contaminant. 
     
     
         5 . The refractory recycling system of  claim 4 , wherein the refining apparatus is further configured to at least:
 receive the first refined set of particles;   generate the second critical velocity based at least in part on the projecting mechanism;   impart the second critical velocity to the first refined set of particles, thereby causing the second contaminant to separate from the first refined set of particles; and   provide a second refined set of particles originating from the first refined set of particles, the second refined set of particles comprising the individual refractory component.   
     
     
         6 . The refractory recycling system of  claim 1 , wherein the refining apparatus, before being configured to impart the first critical velocity to the network of refractory aggregates, is further configured to at least:
 remove a ferrous metal from the network of refractory aggregates using a magnet.   
     
     
         7 . The refractory recycling system of  claim 1 , wherein the refining apparatus comprises a contaminant collection system for collecting the first contaminant separated from the individual refractory component. 
     
     
         8 . The refractory recycling system of  claim 7 , wherein the contaminant collection system is configured to extract the first contaminant based at least in part on a compressed air system. 
     
     
         9 . The refractory recycling system of  claim 1 , wherein the projecting mechanism comprises a circular wheel with one or more blades. 
     
     
         10 . The refractory recycling system of  claim 1 , wherein the refining machine is further configured to receive the network of refractory aggregates via a feed hopper connected to a feed control system. 
     
     
         11 . The refractory recycling system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the refining apparatus comprises a blast chamber comprising the projecting mechanism and an enclosed outer wall; and   the refining apparatus is further configured to impart the first critical velocity to the network of refractory aggregates via the blast chamber.   
     
     
         12 . The refractory recycling system of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the blast chamber further comprises a stationary lining of material surrounding the enclosed outer wall; and   the refining apparatus is further configured to impart the first critical velocity to the network of refractory aggregates by propelling the network of refractory aggregates at the stationary lining of material.   
     
     
         13 . The refractory recycling system of  claim 1 , wherein the network of refractory aggregates comprises alumina (Al 2 O 3 ), magnesia (M g O), silica (S i O 2 ), and phosphorous pentoxide (P 2 O 5 ), and the individual refractory component comprises alumina (Al 2 O 3 ). 
     
     
         14 . A refractory recycling system, comprising:
 a feed hopper connected to a feed control system, the feed control system configured to transfer a stream of a network of refractory aggregates deposited into the feed hopper into a blast chamber, the blast chamber configured to fracture contaminants of the network of refractory aggregates apart from the network of refractory aggregates, the blast chamber comprising:
 a projecting mechanism coupled to a motor, the projecting mechanism configured to spin at a rotational speed; and 
 an enclosed outer wall comprising an inner lining of material surrounding the enclosed outer wall, wherein the projecting mechanism and the enclosed outer wall are separated by a fixed distance; 
   a compartment coupled to the blast chamber, the compartment comprising one or more holes so that one or more valves are configured to pass through the one or more holes, the one or more valves being a component of a contaminant collection system,
 wherein the contaminant collection system is connected to the compartment through the one more valves, the contaminant collection system comprising one or more cyclones; and 
   a harvest hopper connected to the compartment through the one or more valves, the harvest hopper comprising a refined refractory component of the network of refractory aggregates that has passed through the blast chamber.   
     
     
         15 . The refractory recycling system of  claim 14 , wherein the compartment comprises anti-vortex plates coupled to the one or more valves, the anti-vortex plates configured to counteract a vortex effect created by the projecting mechanism when operating at a set rotational speed. 
     
     
         16 . The refractory recycling system of  claim 14 , further comprising a crushing sub-system, the crushing sub-system configured to crush the network of refractory aggregates so that individual particles of the crushed network of refractory aggregates are sized greater than a maximum aggregate size of an individual refractory component of the network of refractory aggregates to be extracted. 
     
     
         17 . The refractory recycling system of  claim 16 , further comprising a filtering sub-system, the filtering sub-system comprising one or more screens, wherein the filtering sub-system is configured to filter the crushed network of refractory aggregates, thereby producing retained particles that are retained on the one more screens, the one or more screens comprising a mesh size equal to or slightly greater than the maximum aggregate size. 
     
     
         18 . The refractory recycling system of  claim 14 , wherein the inner lining of material comprises iron or refractory brick. 
     
     
         19 . The refractory recycling system of  claim 14 , wherein the projecting mechanism comprises a circular wheel with one or more blades. 
     
     
         20 . The refractory recycling system of  claim 14 , wherein the compartment comprises a contaminant collection chamber,
 wherein the contaminant collection chamber is connected to the one or more valves; and   wherein an opening of the contaminant collection chamber is located at a lower portion of the compartment than the one or more valves.